Teaching Applications

The most appropriate applications you have used to support your teaching, why are they appropriate and how have they added to the learning experience

In my first teaching placement, I only used ‘PowerPoint Presentations’ which were given to me by my placement mentors. After the ICT week of lectures in University I became more confident in a number of mobile applications that can be accessed from any internet device.

Here is the list of applications presented during the University ICT week:

·        Assessment Apps:

Socrative – this website based tool that can be used to assess students on their previous knowledge as well as checking for their understanding. This can be done via a quiz at the start or end of a lecture or a term. I would use this at the start of a brand new job with a new class to test their knowledge or to test my students at the end of a learning outcome.

Kahoot – this is another online quiz tool which could be used for testing the knowledge of a student or class. However, the majority of the PGCE class found this a slightly more childish, less mature way of assessing students so I would probably use Socrative more so than Kahoot.

Nearpod – this is my FAVOURITE. Out of everything new I have experienced on my teaching placement, watching my mentor conduct a lesson through 

Nearpod was brilliant. It has to be one of the most inspiring ideas for me to consider new, technological and creative ways to deliver a lecture.

·        Engagement Apps:

Padlet - this is where the students can add their personal opinions, key words or pose questions to the whole class via an online interactive webpage. I would use this when the class needed to give opinions or multiple answers.

Nearpod – as expressed above, I would use Nearpod all of the time. I have only had the opportunity to use it once for a short session but it was fantastic and the learners really enjoyed being interactive with their learning.

Wordle – this is where you have the opportunity to input as little or as many words to create a word collage. These words would be related to your subject e.g. fitness, stamina, muscles etc. I would not use this often but it would be great to create and print very graphically and aesthetically pleasing posters for classrooms and advertising or as a revision tool before exams.

Internet detectives – please see my ‘Barriers to the effective use of technology in education’ blog for more information.

Prezi – this is another version of PowerPoint in my eyes in terms of utilisation but it is better because you can use so many different designs or formats to make it look more interesting for the learner. I will use this because it will mean more variety in the delivery of my information.

Prezi: